


Tea for Two

by IdShipIt



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I started writing this today and would not stop until it was finished, claude has it bad for byleth, just heavily implied that theyre oblivious idiots, no actual get together in this, not completely canon conversations, or feelings confession, slight spoilers for claude's heritage, tea time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-10-01 22:03:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20419547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdShipIt/pseuds/IdShipIt
Summary: Once Byleth set her mind to something, she was determined and would see it to the end. She was going to find out Claude’s favorite tea no matter how many tries it would take.





	Tea for Two

**Author's Note:**

> So, this isn't my usual fandom. haha.
> 
> I should probably update my fic I haven't updated since 2018, but details ya know. I thought of this fic today during my physics recitation and have done zero work because my brain refused to let me do anything else. 
> 
> So, I've played 80+ hours of Three Houses. I haven't even finished the Golden Deer route (oops--saved the best for la). Also I found out I did the fucking "secret" 4th route in the Black Eagles route first. It was pretty wild going from that to the Blue Lions route, ESPECIALLY after marrying Edelgard (what do you mean you want her head, Dimitri? That's my wife). 
> 
> Anyways, I'm a fucking sucker for Claude. He really has taken over my life at the moment and I have a big ole fat crush on a fictional character. My switch album is filled with pictures of him from tea time. Not gonna lie. I'm actually a sucker for tea, so sliiiight self-insert. Also, god shattering star is lit af. I listened to it on repeat while writing this. 
> 
> So anyways, take the unedited word vomit.

As a mercenary, Byleth didn’t have many pastimes. Training, sure. She trained often and it took up almost all of her “free time.” And staying alive, that certainly went with training; she trained to stay alive and defeat any opponents necessary. 

Byleth learned very quickly after coming to the monastery that there were more things to life than training and staying alive. Of course, they were still very much a part of her role as a professor. But now she had to keep not only herself from dying, but an entire class of kids (she says “kids” lightly--even though she knew not her actual age, most likely they were only a few years younger than she). Teaching a class of young nobles and commoners alike exposed her to new hobbies she may not have ever thought of before. 

One of those just so happened to be tea. For Byleth, tea as a mercenary was an immense luxury. Some of the nobles that hired her and her father would thank them with a cup of tea, or give them some of the tea leaves (for which they would immediately sell them, as they really had no use for tea on their travels). From the teas she had tasted with her father, it was bitter and had no real flavor. 

It wasn’t until Lorenz introduced her to tea that she started to appreciate it more. He asked her after class one day to help find someone else to share a love of tea with him. After asking around, she found Ferdinand from the Black Eagles. Both invited her to tea (to which she sheepishly accepted, despite knowing nothing about “noble tea rituals”). The two were understanding and taught her about different teas, what could and couldn’t be paired with them, and even what you can add to them. It was overwhelming to her, but Byleth enjoyed herself. It wasn’t often that she enjoyed something outside of training.

After her first tea time with Lorenz and Ferdinand, word spread across the monastery about Byleth and tea. Her students and even students from the other houses would come up to her after class and invite her to tea with them. She didn’t object much, and would learn more about each of her students. Ignatz loved painting in his spare time (it took a lot for him to admit it, but she appreciated him opening up), Marianne loved horses and found it easier to speak with them than people (it took  _ a lot _ to get her to open up), but there was one student who didn’t reveal much about himself: Claude.

Sure, she knew the basics: had just been recently named the heir to the Leicester Alliance, a schemer, and loved to make poisons in his spare time (a rather concerning hobby, if you asked Byleth). But he was still a complete mystery. No mention of his parents, unlike the other students who shared fond memories or complained about overbearing families during their time together. He wouldn’t even tell her his favorite tea (“I’ll let you figure this one out on your own, Teach”). Not even a hint. 

Once Byleth set her mind to something, she was  _ determined _ and would see it to the end. She was going to find out Claude’s favorite tea no matter how many tries it would take. 

So, every week, she invited him to tea. And every week, she would have a new tea ready to try out. Sometimes she took recommendations from the other students in her class (“Sweet apple blend is a favorite among many, Professor. Why don’t you give it a try?”). Other times, she spent hours in the library looking through tea characteristics. She even ended up using all of her monthly allowance to buy some of every tea available in the market. Her room soon became overrun with tea, the smell incredibly strong in her room. 

Every night, Byleth made herself a cup (or two) of tea and wrote down what she thought of it. The undernotes, the color, how it tasted with or without sugar and/or honey. 

Not only did Byleth invite Claude to tea, she also often invited him to eat with her and another student. She found that he was more open about his likes and dislikes when it came to food. She mentally noted that he liked spicy, more exotic foods. Oh, and large feasts as well. 

Overtime, Claude did start to open up to her more. He told stories about his parents (albeit, leaving out some details), how surprised he was when he found out he was the heir to the Leicester Alliance. But no matter how much she asked, he simply would not budge when asked about his favorite tea. 

The two discussed battles, particularly after Byleth received the Sword of the Creator. Claude was very insistent to get a chance to wield it. 

“Come on, Teach. Just a little swing at it? Maybe just holding it?”

Byleth shook her head, sipping her tea. “You saw what happened to Miklan when he wielded a Relic he wasn’t chosen by.”

“Okay, but that was from the  _ crest stone _ , remember? This ole sword doesn’t even have one.”

“No,” Byleth said firmly. “I don’t even know how I’m able to wield it. I’m not even going to chance it with you.”

“Aw, you care so much for me, Teach.”

Byleth smiled. She really had come to care for the Leicester heir. 

Eventually, it became the night of the ball. Byleth stood to the sidelines, watching her students smile and interact. She felt conflicted, wanting to dance but not wanting to at the same time. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. She may be light-footed on the battlefield, but had two left feet when it came to dancing. 

“May I have this dance?” Someone to her right asked. She knew who it was before she even turned to look at him. 

“Depends,” Byleth replied, staring his straight in the eyes and giving him a sly smile. “Will you tell me your favorite tea?”

Claude let out a laugh. “Oh, how you wound me, Teach. Only accepting an offer from me if I tell you some trivial fact about myself.” He gently grabbed her hand and gave a light kiss on her knuckles. Byleth felt her pulse rising, a strange feat considering her lack of a heartbeat. Her chest tightened slightly. Claude dragged her to the dancefloor by the hand, leaving her no time to object before he guided her other hand to his shoulder. He then politely placed his hand in the middle of her back and the two swayed to the music. 

Byleth will admit: she was enjoying herself. She felt herself smile, genuinely as Claude danced with her out of rhythm from the music. He twirled her around and would dip her occasionally as they danced. She could feel eyes on them (some judging, some amazed, some even jealous) but she didn’t care. It was just her and Claude in this moment. 

Eventually, the song ended and Byleth was swept away from Claude’s arms into Sylvain’s. She was passed along from person to person (from her class, from other classes) until the song ended. At that point, she was dizzy and needed air to breathe. “I’ll be… back,” She told Dimitri, who last danced with her. 

“Of course, Professor. Is there anything I could get for you? Perhaps a refreshment?”

Byleth nodded. “I’m okay. I just need air.”

“Understood.” Dimitri bowed as Byleth stepped out to Goddess Tower. 

Sothis questioned her stepping out, but relented as Byleth explained she was tired. She inhaled deeply, relishing the alone time. The one thing Byleth learned about herself after coming to the monastery to teach was that she was most certainly an introvert. Being around so many people made her exhausted. 

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Teach,” A voice called out for her. She would have been annoyed if it wasn’t for who it was. Instead she felt…. Happy she supposed was the word she was looking for. Yes, happy. She was glad it was Claude, and not any of the other students. 

“I had to get away.” She explained. A pause. “I mean, there are so many people…”

“I understand ya, Teach. All those nobles and their stuffy dances. I would love to teach them some  _ real _ dancing sometime.” 

“Oh?” Byleth prompted. She had the feeling Claude was hinting at something personal. 

He continued on. “Where I’m from, dances are much more spectacular. Less stiff, too.” She made note of the “where I’m from.” It was almost as if he wasn’t from Fódlan… “But anyways. I needed some fresh air and I would assume you did too.”

Byleth nodded. “I’m not used to dancing. I’ve never done it before in my life.”

“Never danced before, huh. Well, I am  _ honored _ to be your first ever dance partner. Bet I set the bar high too.”

Byleth smiled and laughed slightly. “You sure did.”

There was a pause. “As you know, Teach, I was very surprised when I found out that my mother was a noble belonging to House Riegan. I was even more surprised to find out that I was the next heir. Now, under normal circumstances, I probably would’ve passed on it and let whoever next was in line take a go at the inheritance, but I have some ambitions of mine that I want to fulfill.” He looked over at Byleth. “I was  _ dreading _ coming to the monastery with all these nobles. But, meeting you has made it much better. I don’t think I can imagine a world without you, Teach. And, if you’ll have me, I’d love to include you in my ambitions.” 

Byleth felt her face grow warmer, almost like a fever. She wanted to pull her gaze away from Claude, but something kept her eyes locked with his. “I’d like that as well,” she replied. 

Claude smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up like the stars that speckled the night sky above them. He took a step forward toward her, then stopped abruptly. “You know, Teach, there’s something I…. nevermind. I need to head back. Prevent Lorenz from scaring away all the girls, you know.” He turned his back to her, but called back, “I really appreciate you, Teach,” then headed back to the ball. 

Byleth smiled to herself. She really did feel more at ease when she was with Claude. Rather than go back to the ball, she decided to head back to her personal quarters. After all, she had a favorite tea she had to discover. 

Little did Byleth know, that night was the last night she would be truly happy for a while. At the end of the month, Jeralt was murdered by Monica--no, Kronya, as she called herself. She was filled with sadness, an emotion she hadn’t really felt much before. Sure, she felt  _ something _ when she ended up killing someone for a job, or when innocent people died that she couldn’t save. But it was nothing compared to the sadness she felt when her own father was murdered in front of her. Couple with her sadness was her immense rage. She  _ had _ to avenge her father. 

Byleth left her room for Jeralt’s burial, then holed herself up for the next few days. Every so often, she would hear a knock on the door. When she opened the door, she found gifts such as tea blends, unsigned letters of encouragement, and occasionally meals. She could tell which student brought which gift based on tastes and handwriting. Each gift brought a sad smile to her face; her students really did care for her. 

One particular note left for her just had five words written.  _ Come to tea. Usual time. _ It wasn’t signed (like the rest of the notes), but she immediately knew who it was from. 

Sighing, Byleth tried making it look like she hadn’t been spending her days in bed. She had neglected her duties long enough. Byleth grabbed a sachet of tea someone had left for her. It was a tea she had yet to experience, unmarked. But the smell was peculiar, more forest-like than others she had encountered. She ventured out of her room, heading toward the garden. 

When she arrived, Claude was already there. 

“Nice to see you out and about, Teach!” He exclaimed as she walked over. Claude normally was the one to set up everything for tea, while Byleth brought the actual tea. He got up and pulled out her seat for her. “I take it you got my letter.” 

Byleth nodded. She wordlessly began to steep the tea in the pot of hot water Claude had provided. After replacing the lid, she looked down at her lap. Her eyes were probably still red from her last crying session. 

“Teach, no, er,  _ Byleth. _ ” Byleth looked up at Claude, shocked that he said her name and not the nickname she had grown fond of. “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent. Both of mine are still alive and kicking. I’m not an expert on this subject. But, well, what I’m trying to say is, at this point in time, we need to keep moving forward. You’re an incredibly strong woman, Byleth. Use what you’re feeling to push forward.”

Without even noticing it, tears began leaking from her eyes. She covered her eyes, not wanting Claude to see her in this state. She felt a warm and comforting hand grab her own and was pulled away from her face. He gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no need to apologize, Teach,” Claude said, returning to his usual term of endearment. “I’m here for you. Now, let’s get to this tea. It smells delicious!” He let go of her hand and held up his cup, eagerly waiting for Byleth to pour him some tea. 

She obliged. 

“Now this one smells like home!” He brought the cup to his mouth. After taking a sip, his eyes, too, began leaking tears. “This  _ is _ from home.” He wiped his eyes quickly. “I’m sorry, Teach. Here you are mourning your father and I’m over here crying because of something as silly as homesickness.”

Byleth smiled gently, shaking her head. “Is it your favorite?”

“Boy, is it my--” He stopped himself, then smiled slyly. “So you’ve figured it out, huh?”

“Well, not exactly. Someone left this for me at my door and I brought it with me. It was unlabeled.”

Claude sighed. “Well, no use in hiding it now. Guess I’ll just bare myself for you, Teach. This right here is Almyran pine needles.”

Curious, Byleth poured herself a cup. She took a sip, almost gagging at the taste. “It’s very, um,  _ bitter _ .”

“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely an acquired taste.”

Byleth cleared her throat. “So when you said it’s from home…?”

“Well, as you can probably guess, I wasn’t born here in Fódlan. Of course, it’s also a bit obvious from the way I look. My mother is from Fódlan, while my father is from Almyra. My mother left Fodlan to elope with my father, leaving behind all of nobility. Pretty romantic if you ask me.” 

Byleth nodded in agreement. “I never knew my mother, but from the way my father… spoke of her, they both loved each other.” 

“I’m sorry if I opened up a fresh wound there.”

“No. I think I’m slowly accepting it.” 

The two talked about different stories. Byleth talked about her journeys as a mercenary, while Claude told her stories about growing up in Almyra. However, it still felt like he was leaving out some details, but she never pushed him for them. 

Eventually, they got on the subject of Jeralt, when Byleth stood up suddenly. 

“What is it, Teach?”

“I almost forgot. He left something for me in his study. Told me to look in every shelf.”

“Hmm, seems pretty important. Mind if I tag along? To speed up the process?”

Byleth nodded. The two cleaned up their tea, then headed to Jeralt’s study. 

They first began by taking out all the books, per Byleth’s suggestion. Her father probably wouldn’t hide something in plain sight. Sure enough, hidden behind the book on the bottom shelf was an important-looking book: a journal. Sothis told Byleth to read through some of it, so she did. Many of the entries were prior to her birth, detailing some of the…  _ romantic _ gestures toward her mother. Eventually there reached a point where she was mentioned. A baby with no heartbeat… 

“Hey, Teach!” Claude interrupted. “I found something!” 

He held a pouch for her. In it was the ring Jeralt showed her, her mother’s ring. He said to give it to someone she was in love with… She looked up at Claude. 

“Thank you.” She smiled. “This was my mother’s. And this--” She held up the journal-- “is my father’s.”

“A journal, huh? When you’re done reading through it, mind if I take a look at it? It’s completely up to you, but I get the feeling there’s something in there pertaining to the church.”

Byleth thought about it. While it was left to her by her father, she trusted Claude enough to read through it. Besides, a second opinion may help her figure out some things written. She nodded. 

“Great! Just hand it over when you’re ready.” The two put back the study how they found it, then left. 

Later that month, Byleth was able to get revenge for her father’s death. It wasn’t without a price though, combining powers with Sothis to become the “Enlightened One.” None of her students could believe her appearance and honestly, neither could she after seeing a reflection of herself. Claude was most curious about her new look. 

The two still had their usual weekly tea time, but it felt… odd to Byleth. Claude was staring at her more intently than ever. She decided he was trying to decide what happened to her, but Byleth wasn’t budging. Maybe one day she would reveal her own little secret, perhaps when Claude reveals the one he was still hiding from her. 

Then came that fateful day. A month after Edelgard was revealed to be the Flame Emperor and launched a massive scale attack on Garreg Mach. She was protecting Rhea from demonic beasts when a mage sent an attack her way. Normally, the Sword of the Creator would protect her, but this was a particularly powerful spell, and she was close to the edge of a cliff. The sheer power sent her flying backwards, until she was no longer one solid ground but instead falling down. 

The last thing Byleth heard before she blacked out was her name being desperately called in Claude’s voice.

* * *

Byleth woke up to a few pairs of hands under her arms, presumably dragging her. Her eyes snapped open, her body automatically getting up and ripping the hands from her. 

“Whoa, easy there!” one of the men said. “We’re just trying to help you.”

Byleth’s head pounded. “Wh-where am I?”

“Just on the outskirts of the monastery,” he answered.

“The monastery…”

“Yeah, it’s been abandoned for years. We made camp here to avoid the thieves for the night.”

“Abandoned?” Byleth asked.

“Yeah, since 1181.”

Panic arose in Byleth. “What year is it now?”

“1185. Today’s actually the millennium festival!” The other man explained. “Not like there’s much to celebrate anymore.”

“I have to go.”

“Whoa, wait a minute.” The first man grabbed her tattered coat. “At least take this. You were holding onto it pretty hard when we found you.” He handed her the Sword of the Creator, which immediately glowed in her touch.

Byleth nodded. “Thank you.”

“Where are you going?”

“The monastery. My students need me.” She walked off toward the abandoned place, ignoring the men's confused yells after her.

* * *

Byleth was drawn to Goddess Tower. Sure enough, the monastery was a complete mess. It was a challenge to climb all the stairs while avoiding the debris. As she reached the top, she wasn’t alone. A vaguely familiar figure was at the top, staring out toward the land. He looked over, and Byleth felt her chest tighten. It was Claude. Much older and different looking, but still the same Claude.

“Byleth?” He asked, almost unable to believe it.

Byleth nodded, smiling. “Claude.”

Claude started running toward her, grabbing her in a hug and lifting her off the ground. She laughed gently as Claude set her down, but still hugging her. “I’ve missed you, Byleth,” He whispered in her ear. “I refused to believe you were dead. I knew you would come today.” He let her go, still keeping his hands on her shoulders. 

Byleth finally got a good look at him. He was slightly taller than he was before her slumber. He ditched the braid and groomed his hair rather than keep it untamed. He had the start of a beard. Byleth would admit, he was pretty handsome. 

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” Byleth replied. Claude smiled warmly at her. “Now, I believe we have a lot to catch up on over tea.”

Claude let out a bellowing laugh. “Of course! Usual spot?”

“Usual time.” Byleth nodded.

The two parted, and Byleth headed to what was her personal quarters. At least it wasn’t damaged much and her precious tea collection was still intact. She patted down her torn clothes and rusted armor. Luckily her mother's ring was still where she kept it. She thought about taking it out and giving it to Claude, placed it back in its pouch. Not today, at least. She groomed herself and changed into her spare set of armor, then grabbed the special tea for tea time. While she may have been asleep for nearly five years, it seemed, there was still something she never forgot. 

The pair met up, and Byleth steeped the tea. After several minutes, she poured a cup for Claude and herself. They both took a sip at the same time.

Claude stared at her, a large grin on his face. “You remembered.”

“Now, what kind of a professor would I be if I forgot my favorite student’s favorite tea?”

“I was your favorite?” Claude asked, grin widening. 

“Don’t get such a big head about it. Now, tell me everything that has happened since I was sleeping.”


End file.
